Biography

Mark H. Johnson is currently Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge (UK), and is a member of the Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development at Birkbeck, University of London.

He obtained his first degree from the University of Edinburgh (Biological Sciences), and his PhD in behavioral neuroscience from Cambridge. Subsequently, between two periods as at the MRC Cognitive Development Unit in London (1985-89 and 1994-98), he was Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Carnegie Mellon University, USA. In 1997 he moved to Birkbeck to establish the Centre for Brain & Cognitive Development.

He has published over 380 papers and 10 books on brain and cognitive development in human infants, children and in other species. His laboratory focuses on typical, at-risk and atypical functional brain development in human infants and toddlers using a variety of different brain imaging, cognitive, genetic and computational modelling techniques.

Website:
https://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/people/professor-mark-johnson

Typical and Atypical Trajectories of Human Brain Development

Session Type: Invited Talk

Abstract

While it is well established that different profiles of brain specialization can result from discrete perturbations to early development such as congenital blindness, deafness, or localized brain injury, the consequences for later brain organization of more diffuse and widespread differences in neurochemistry or developmental timing (e.g. sensitive periods) remain unclear. I review evidence from prospective longitudinal studies of infants at-risk for Autism or ADHD consistent with the view that there are alternative trajectories for human brain development, that in some cases result in clinical behavioral phenotypes (like Autism and ADHD). I will then present a systems neuroscience model for analysing these alternative trajectories (the AMEND framework). In AMEND early-stage perturbations of brain function are dissociated from later emerging developmental modifier systems. Once these components are identified and measured, their interaction to result in typical or atypical phenotypes can be analysed. I suggest that this new framework will advance our theoretical and clinical understanding of both typical and atypical phenotypes.

Sub Unit

• Invited Program

Moderator

• Ron E Dahl, University of California, Berkeley

Speaker

• Mark H. Johnson, University of Cambridge

Introducer

• Christy Rae Rogers, Yale University